Game apparatus



J. KELLINGER AGAME APPARATUS Filed Dec.

Feb. 3, 1959 Illlll Lllllld In l United States Patent GAME APPARATUS .lohn Kellinger, Oakland, Calif. Application December 13, 1955, Serial No. 552,823

4 claims. (ci. 273-127) This invention relates to games, and is more particu- -larly directed towards a game apparatus in which a missile ball is rolled or projected towards a target for engaging the latter and displacing an object from the target.

An object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus in which a plurality of spherical objects are adapted to be supported in vertical stacked relationship and in which a missile ball, by engaging the lowermost ball in the stack will displace-the same from the stack and permit descension of the remaining target balls.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus of the character described in which novel means are provided for supporting the lowermost ball in a stack in such a manner as to enable the ball to remain in fixed position until positively engaged by a missile element.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the type described in which a relatively large number of target balls may be positioned in the target without imparting too much weight on the lowermost ball in a vertical stack whereby the latter may be readily discharged upon being struck by a missile ball.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the game apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form of game apparatus.

Figure 5 is a top plan View of the structure shown in Figure 4.

.In both of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention, apparatus is provided for supporting a plurality of target balls in a vertical stack, with means for supporting the lowermost ball in the stack for displacement out of the stack upon being engaged by a missile ball, whereby the remaining balls in the stack will gravitationally descend a distance equal to the diameter of the displaced ball.

Referring rst to the game apparatus as disclosed in s ice ball being adapted to be projected by mechanical means' or by manually rolling the same from a position forwardly ofthe ramp 14. A suitable wall or flange 18 extends garound the sides and rear end of the base 12 so as to confine the missile ball to the area of the base and likewise, as will be presently explained, to retain the ejected target balls within the contines of the base portion 16 after being dislodged from their normally vertically stacked relationship.

` The target'balls 21 are provided in a vertical stack overlying the central base portion 13, and as here illustrated, four of such stacks of target balls are provided, although it will be immediately apparent that a single stack or any desired number of stacks may be positioned across the width of the base 12. The balls 21 are contained in vertically disposed tubular members 22 which v may besecured to the base in any suitable manner. Preferably, the upper end 23 of each tube is open so as to permit loading of the target balls in the respective tubes.

Obviously, if the tubes 22 retained their solid crosssectional conliguration completely down to the base, it would be impossible to dislodge a ball from the tube unless the apparatus was completely inverted. Accordingly, in order to permit dislodgement and horizontal ejection of the lowermost ball in `each stack,fthe tube is provided with a front open portion 24 and a rear open portion26, such openings being in diametrically opposed relationship,` and-the size of the latter opening being sullicient to permit withdrawal of the lowermost ball therethrough. Thus, with particular reference to Figure 3 of the drawing, it will be appreciated that by virtue of the front opening 24, the missile ball 17 may be aimed at the verticalaxis of the tube, and if the user has Sullicient skill, the missile ball 17 will strike the peripheral front portion 31 of thelowermost target ball 21 in the tube causing the same to move to the right as shown in the gure and through the enlarged rear opening 26. Obviously, upon displacement of this lowermost ball the remaining ball or balls in the tube will gravitationally descend until Vthe lowermost ball engages the base 12 or other support.

Means are provided for supporting the lowermost ball in the stack so as to retain the stack in position and without being displaced until being struck by the missile ball. In order to accomplish the foregoing, it has been found essential to merely support the lowermost ball along an annular line contact, and as shown in Figure 3 such line contact may be provided by utilizing an aperture 32 inthe base of 'a size smaller than the ball diameter. In this manner, the lowermostvball 21 will be supported onthe annular shoulder deiining the intersection of the aperture 32 and the upper surface ofthe base portion-13. The ball will be retained in such recess until positively struck by the missile ball as hereinabove explained. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that notwithstanding the diametrically opposed cut-out portions 24 and 26, arcuate side portions 34 of the tube will remain and assist in guiding the stack of balls downwardly upon displacement of the lowermost ball in the stack without danger of lateral displacement. When the` lowermost ball 21 engages the bore 32 vthe weight of the ball in combination with the side wall portions 34 will retain the ball in such position until it is struck in the manner described. To further insure against accidental dislodgement of the lowermost ball asit moves onto the base vportion 13, the portion Figures l to 3 of the drawing, a base member 12 is provided, such base member having a center horizontal portion 13, an upwardly inclined ramp 14 at the front thereof and a downwardly inclined portion 16 at the rear thereof. The term front as used herein refers to the direction from which the missile ball 17 is directed, such 13 maybe sloped slightly upwardly from front to rear thereof. vln this manner, the natural tendency of the ball 4will be to move towards the opening 24 but as such opening is insuliicient to permit passage of the ball the latter will remain in position betweenvthe side' wall portions 34 of the tube, However, by virtue of the fact that assale-1 the greater portion of the ball mass is above the level of the surface of base 13 a relatively small impact force will be suflicient to dislodge the same notwithstanding the weight of 'the verticallystacked balls above the lowermost ball `and the slight slope of the base 1,3.A v

In operation, a plurality of tubes 22 may be positioned on the base 12 as illustrated in Figures l and 2v of the drawing with suitable deliector plates 36 positioned between suchtubes so as to prevent the missile ball from passing into the downwardly inclined rear portion 16 of the game. Thus, after the missile ball strikes the target ball, the slope of ramp 14 will tend to return the missile ball to the player, and the ejected target balls will remain in the area of base portion 16 surrounded by the side wall 18,. As illustrated in Figure l, a pair of tubes are positioned in adjacent Arelationship with the axes of therespective tubes being odset longitudinally of the game. By way of example, where two players are using the game, each player may attempt to knock the target balls from one of the tubes in each set. However, by virtue of the close proximity of the other tube in each set, unless the player is accurate, he may accidentally displace a ball from one of his opponents tubes.

ln Figures 4 and 5 a slightly modified form of target ball support is disclosed, in which a relatively large number of target balls may be made readily available for ejection from the device without danger of the weight of the balls preventing displacement ofthe lowermost ball in the stack. As here illustrated, a single ball supporting mechanism 41 is provided on a base structure 42. This base structure may simply include a front ramp 43 up which the missile ball may be projected, a medial horizontal portion 44 on which the ball supporting means is provided and a rearwardly and downwardly sloping portion 46 having side walls 47 for entrapping any ballsV displaced from the target support.

In place of the continuous tube 22 as disclosed in the first embodiment of the invention it is possible to use a pair of diametrically opposed arcuate portions 51 and 52, such portions actually defining the lateral extent of the longitudinal axis of the base 42. With such an arrangement no forward opening is required to enable a missile ball to strike the leading edge portion 53 of the lowermost target ball in the vertical stack thereof.

If only a limited number of target balls 21 are desired, the balls may be readily fed into the upper open end of the chamber defined by the arcuate walls 51 and 52. However, to enable a larger number of balls to be sequentially supplied to the position to be struck by the target ball, a horizontal extension 56 may be provided, such extension including a bottom track 57 and suitable side walls 58. The .track 57 preferably slops downwardly and forwardly so as to enable the balls 21 to roll into the vertical chamber defined by the arcuate wall portions 51 and 52.

`In order to permit release of the lowermost ball in the stack the wall portions S1 and 52 are `cut back as indicated at 61 so that the lowermost ball may move rearwardly upon impact by the target ball and into the ,enclosure area for receiving the discharged target balls. Also, it will be noted that the balls are supported along an'va'nnular line as in the first discussed embodiment of the invention, although instead of providing a bore to provide such line, an element 63 is provided with a continuous annular ange 64 for engaging an annular portion of the lowermost ball in the stack. The action is substantially` identical to that previously explained with reference to Figure 3 of the drawing, and notwithstanding the slight elevation of the lowermost ball relative to the upper surface of theV base structure, the missile ball, upon striking the leading edge 53 of a ball 21, will cause the latter to be dislodged lfrom its annular seat 63 and roll rearwardly into the enclosed area 46. Then, the remaining balls in the stack will gravitationally descend and the first ball 21a in the horizontal extension will fall into position as the top ball in the vertical stack.

What is claimed is:

l. A game apparatus including a base along which a missile ball may be rolled and a substantially tubular vertically disposed ball receiving member, said member having a wall restraining lateral movement of target balls stacked within the same while permitting free gravitational movement of the balls within the member, means adjacent the lower end of said member for supporting a ball along an annular line below the center of gravity of said ball and in vertical alignment with the longitudinal axis of said member, means delining an opening adjacent the lower end of said member and a diametrically opposed opening adjacent said lower end, one of said openings being suiciently large to enable a ball contained within said member to pass horizontally from the member through such opening and the other opening being too small to permit such movement and likewise preventing passage of a missile ball therethrough.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising a longitudinally extending base member, a generally tubular element extending vertically upwardly from said base member adjacent a rear end thereof and adapted to contain a stack of balls, means delining a bore in said base member in axial alignment with the vertical axis of said tubular element, the lowermost ball in said stack being adapted to be seated in said bore with the major portion of said ball extending upwardly therefrom, the lower end of said tube being provided with diametrically opposed openings and positioned along a longitudinal axis of said base member, one of said openings having a height less than the diameter of said tube and the other of said openings having a height at least as great as the diameter of said tube whereby a ball positioned partially within said bore may be struck by a missile ball rolled along said base 'member through the smaller of said openings and ejected from said tube through the larger of said openings, said larger opening being positioned adjacent said rear end of said base member.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which a plurality of said tubular elements extend transversely across said base member, and deflector means positioned'on said base member between said tubular elements for limiting passageway of a missile ball past said detlectors and tubular elements, and means for receiving and containing ejected balls from said tubular elements.

4. Apparatus as set orthin claim 2 including a generally horizontally disposed extension adjacent the upper end of said tubular element and arranged to receive a plurality of balls therein, said extension having a downwardly directed guide and ball support element whereby balls may gravitationally roll along said extension'and into the upper end of said tubular member.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,251,481 Cuthbert Jan. 1, 1918 1,743,576 Smith Jan. 14, 1930 1,748,030 Wetzell Feb. 18, 1930 2,053,152 Kiesel Sept. l, 1936 2,362,065 Hagopian Nov. 7, 1944 2,516,997 Kellinger et al Aug. 1, 1950 2,641,242 Dickson June 9, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 594,837 Germany Mar. 22, 1934 

